Final answer:
AIDS is a disease caused by the C. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which severely damages the immune system. Unlike autoimmune diseases and allergies, HIV is contagious and is transmitted through specified bodily fluids, including blood and sexual contact.
Step-by-step explanation:
AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is a serious condition that damages the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off diseases and infections. HIV is transmitted through blood products, sexual contact, and from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. Unlike other diseases of the immune system, such as autoimmune diseases and allergies which are noninfectious, HIV is a blood-borne, sexually transmitted disease that cannot be acquired through casual contact.
The first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, and since then, it has led to an estimated 25 million fatalities worldwide. Before the development of anti-HIV drugs, an HIV infection was nearly always fatal, but today it can be managed as a chronic disease with proper treatment. Therefore, answering the question, AIDS is a disease caused by C. HIV.